May 20, 2016: 9 Up 9 Down

posted in: Cubs, White Sox | 1

OK, it’s time to throw a shout out to the best pitcher in Chicago, and no, I’m not talking about Jake Arrieta.  Blasphemy you say?  OK, let’s just say you can’t go wrong with either.  Both Chris Sale and Jake Arrieta are in the top 3 pitchers in all of baseball.

But we’re going by the record here… knowing that’s not always the best judge for a pitcher, considering tough luck pitchers such as Jose Quintana for example.  But with 9 wins in 9 games started, Chris Sale is showing once again why he is one of the best pitchers, if not THE best pitcher in baseball.

Ask him, and he tells you Jake is the best.  Ask Jake, and Jake will probably say it’s himself…haha.  We all know Jake’s historic numbers… the streak he’s been on since post All Star break last year, but enough about him; we’ll watch him on the mound tonight in Frisco.  Back to Sale, who recorded the big W yesterday for the Sox.  If there is one single reason to go to a Sox game, it’s to watch him on the mound.

The Sox have been reeling a bit.  Every team will at some point.  The nice thing to have when you’re in one of those slumps is a stopper.  We’ve talked about this before.  Chris Sale was and is that stopper.  When his name is listed for starting pitcher, you have a really, really good chance to win the game.  The Sox needed a win last night, and they got it.

Another dominant performance in the books… complete game by the big lefty.  I don’t want to jinx him, but I was convinced he’d have more problems with injuries, based on his helter skelter delivery.  So far so good… that looks like the only thing that could stop him.  There sure isn’t an American League team that can.  Even the Cubs got a taste of that last year… they had no answers either.
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He’s been pitching more to contact this season, but still strikes out a bunch.  He’s still has that passion, but maybe controls it better now…  It seems like everything is coming together for a Cy Young year for Sale.  Now what about the other pitchers..

Quintana is that perennial tough luck pitcher.  Not sure why the Sox don’t score runs for him… reminds me of the Cubs with Lackey’s last 2 starts.  Jose’s numbers are excellent, but that record doesn’t show it.  Sox fans don’t need to worry about him.  Then you got Rodon… who has a hell of a lot of promise that hasn’t quite translated to the field yet.  Moments of excellence coupled with moments of crap are the ups and downs that a young pitcher has to smooth out.  Carlos should find that consistency; the Sox will need him to if they want to keep that record up.  Now we come to Latos, who after the first month of the season, was the best free agent signing of the summer.  Now after 3 weeks of May, we see why nobody else picked him up.  Will the real Mat Latos please stand up?  I’m afraid it’s the not so good version.  Then the 5th starter, held down by Danks for too long, has become a carousel, with Miguel Gonzalez the lastest rider.  That starting pitching is starting to be a concern on the South Side.  Is Carson Fullmer ready yet?

It’s time to make moves.  Arms, bats, gloves… let’s stack that deck.  The Cubs already added an arm in the bullpen, even though it’s busted one.  If Nathan could regain some of his old form, it would be a golden move.  If not, then we’re not so worse off.  Cubs should continue to look to add; Theo will.  Rick Hahn needs to do the same.  After all, doesn’t he have $13 million laying around somewhere…

Chris Sale has been on this mediocre team way too long.  He deserves to have every dollar, every move thrown at this thing, to give him that chance in the postseason.  Heck, even if it’s that one game Wild Card; with Sale on the mound, you can pencil the Sox to move on.  9 up 9 down this year for the eventual 2016 Cy Young award winner.  What will he do for an encore?  Will the rest of the team continue to step up?  The story of the 2016 Sox depends on it.

  1. MK

    Chris Sale has been the best pitcher in the bigs this year. 9 up, 9 down. If he continues this run, you have to figure the sox will have a shot, unless the other four starters completely fold. Maybe the laroche debacle in spring training lit a big fire under sale. Whatever it is, he is looking like a cy young award winner, and the sox have to ride him as long as they can.

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